New clarifier will get things moving at Highland water treatment plant
The Highland City Council on Feb. 1 unanimously agreed to seek bids for a new clarifier for the water treatment plant.
The City Council will also be seeking alternate bids to make repairs to the current clarifier, which is 22 years old.
A new clarifier will cost about $1.5 million, City Manager Mark Latham said.
Joe Gillespie, director of Public Works, said the city has set aside money over the past five years for the project.
“The project is in the water fund budget for this fiscal year and funding has been reserved,” he said.
Bids will be opened on March 15.
City officials are expecting construction will start this summer, and the clarifier should be running by next January.
Other council action
In other news:
▪ The City Council unanimously agreed to vacate a portion of Madison Street, lying southwesterly of the westerly line of Deal Street, and sell it to Dave Korte for $3,250.
Korte, who owns Korte Meat Process Processing at 810 Deal St., is planning to expand his business and build a new parking lot.
Korte contacted the city a few months ago about his need to build a dry storage area.
“He has tried to purchase property around his business, but nothing has worked out,” City Manager Mark Latham stated in a Jan. 20 memo to Mayor Joe Michaelis and City Council members.
▪ The City Council, by a 3-1 vote, passed an ordinance allowing Highland Communication Service to add an expedited service option and an after-business-hours service fee.
Latham recommend the ordinance, which will allow HCS to provide installations outside of normal business hours, for a flat fee of $150 per install.
“As construction continues and demand for HCS increases, our installation schedule is expected to fill beyond the current three-plus week window,” he said.
“While we are very clear with our incoming customers about wait times and schedule and, we do our best to work them into the schedule to fit their needs, often times extenuating circumstances arise that could be remedied with an expedite option. By allowing after-hour installs to accommodate customers’ needs, but requiring a fee, a balance should be struck resulting in additional calendar availability and reduced financial loss in overtime payment.”
Latham expects the financial impact will be minimal.
“Our goal is not to make money, but to accommodate our customers’ growing needs with the current staffing levels,” he said.
▪ The City Council unanimously agreed to modify the special event ordinance. Any group or organization that plans to hold a special event, which draws more than 150 people in attendance, will now be required to complete an application with the city.
The Incident Command Committee recommended the ordinance.
“We have discussed and reviewed this for some time and feel we have a workable ordinance that will be beneficial to all parties involved,” Highland Police Chief Terry Bell said. “It is our intent that the information gained through this process will enable the city staff to be better prepared when events occur and will enhance the overall public safety concerns.”
This story was originally published February 10, 2016 at 6:50 AM with the headline "New clarifier will get things moving at Highland water treatment plant."